Kilmarnock captain Manuel Pascali hopes Kenny Shiels avoids further punishment from the Scottish Football Association, admitting they need their boss back in the dugout.

Shiels, who is serving a three-match touchline ban, faces another SFA hearing for accusing match official Andrew Dallas of "fabricating" evidence.

The Scottish Senior Football Referees' Association welcomed the decision by SFA compliance officer Vincent Lunny to issue a notice of complaint for what they described as an "unprecedented attack" on the integrity of an official.

But Pascali - whose red card in last month's defeat to St Johnstone sparked a heated exchange between Shiels and fourth official Dallas - has defended his manager.

He said: "I know the gaffer sometimes speaks very direct and he's always the same with us. He's the kind of character that everybody likes to have around, even the TV and radio like him, because everybody thinks football players and managers are always saying the same things.

"Sometimes he talks over the edge, sometimes he says some things that people take the wrong way. But he's an honest man, he says what he wants and what the supporters think as well.

"I think this went a little bit too over the edge because he just said his opinion. We are in a world where everyone can have their own opinion.

"I don't know what's going on now. I know he's got a little bit of trouble with the SFA but I hope it's going to go well for us because we need him."

Asked if had sympathy for Shiels, the Italian added: "Everybody's moaning because players and managers are always saying the same things.

"The gaffer said something different and everybody is all over him. It was his personal opinion and I know he was gutted about the situation."